30 OBSERVATIONS OF A RANCHWOMAN 



prominence in the town), ' and if he says I 

 have not paid you all I owe you, why, then 

 I will pay more.' 



Juan (springing excitedly to his feet) : 

 ' Oh, no, no, senora ! I am quite satisfied. 

 I'm sure you know, and I don't want to ask 

 Mr. .' 



Of course he doesn't, for obvious reasons. 



The above is a fair sample of the Mexican 

 combination of stupidity and avarice, for 

 there is not a white person in the community 

 who would refuse to give Juan a character 

 for honesty. And, indeed, he is honest, 

 according to the lights of the peon. 



Taken in the aggregate and externally, 

 the peon is not an inviting specimen of 

 humanity. I pause, because in gazing upon 

 certain types of the Mexican particularly 

 when, as often chances, he is full of new wine 

 one catches one's self speculating about 

 the humanity. The health-seeker and casual 

 visitor writes sentimental stories about him 

 him and her ; yet if the average be taken, 

 neither appears to be exactly the proper 

 subject either for sentimentality or romance. 

 The Mexican, as he may be seen every day, 



